The ball sticks in one player's hands, as the other four players stand around and watch.

We're not talking about the Cavaliers during the LeBron James era. We're talking about the present-day Cavs with Kyrie Irving.

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He's asked to do it all on this team, which was one reason the Cavs drafted Dion Waiters. He'll eventually alleviate some of the burden on Irving. But for now, it's all on the shoulders of the 20-year-old Irving.

When Irving has the ball in his hands, he draws a lot of attention.

"His ability to score is going to impact the game," Cavs coach Byron Scott said. "They have to give him more attention when he has the ball in his hands. He's able to create for him teammates and, obviously, for himself.

"I want him to stay aggressive. He's trying to find that happy medium of getting guys involved and keeping them happy, and also being able to score. As long as he stays aggressive, he'll be able to do that."

Teams have been trying to get the ball out of his hands in late-game situations.

"Sometimes he gets passive and gives up the ball too early," Scott said. "Sometimes they double-team him and try to take the ball out of his hands. He's still talented enough to get past most bigs. Sometimes, he gives it up too easy and too early. I want him to stay aggressive. If he keeps that mindset, I think he'll be fine."

For the Cavs' offense to work efficiently, players need to move and the ball needs to move from side to side. They get in trouble when they watch Irving try to do his thing.

Scott has not installed an intricate offense. No, it's not the Princeton offense. Some have suggested it looks more like the Yale offense (that's a joke).

There are a few dribble handoffs and cuts. Much is predicated on penetration. It's designed to kick the ball out to open shooters. The flaw to that line of thinking is they don't have reliable shooters.

Much of the scoring and shooting is normally generated by the shooting guard and small forward positions. The Cavs' shooting guard (Waiters) and small forward (Alonzo Gee) are shooting a combined 38.3 percent from the field.

They run the guard-oriented offense because they have no post-up game. In fact, they don't run any plays for their inside players Anderson Varejao (currently injured), Tristan Thompson or Tyler Zeller.

Strangely enough, Varejao and Zeller are two of their best mid-range shooters. It adds up to an offense that doesn't make shots on a regular basis. They are ranked 24th out of 30 teams in points scored (93.7), 29th in field-goal percentage (41.5 percent) and last in assists (19.2).

Coach killer

About the worst thing one can say about a player, other than he quit, is that he's a coach killer. That's what's being said about Nets point guard Deron Williams.

He had that reputation in Utah in his dealings with former coach Jerry Sloan.

He has it now in Brooklyn after Avery Johnson was fired this week.

"He's got the reputation of getting coaches fired," TNT analyst Charles Barkley said. "Whatever happened in Utah, it happened. Whatever happened in Brooklyn, it happened. This is all on Deron Williams right now. It's time to put up or shut up."

Williams complained about the Nets' offense just days before Johnson was fired.

"Sometimes great players point fingers, they should look in the mirror," TNT analyst Shaquille O'Neal said. "This is the first time I've heard the guy with the ball at all times saying that he doesn't like the offense. My advice is for him to look in the mirror and see if he's doing enough. At times, I think he's trying to do too much. There are only 24 seconds on the shot clock and he spends 10-12 seconds dribbling between his legs. He needs to get everyone else involved and himself involved. He's not really playing that well."

TNT analyst Kenny Smith said if coaches don't win, they don't last long in the NBA.

"This league is about winning basketball games," he said. "There aren't any fair firings in the NBA. Avery Johnson had a system that didn't fit the parts that were (in Brooklyn). Avery Johnson is a good quality NBA coach, but this was a team that the expectations started to get to them."

Evolution of point guard

There was an interesting essay on nba.com this week from Hall of Fame point guard Isiah Thomas. He talked about how the modern-day point guard must be athletic and have the ability to score. In the past, many point guards ran the offense, managed the game plan and got out of the way.

Smith agreed with Thomas' opinion.

"The difference between the modern day (point guards) is that the ability to be athletic overpowers the ability (to manage) time and score," he said. "To me, it's always the point guard's job to manage time and score."

Most experts say Clippers point guard Chris Paul is the top point guard in the league. Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook is probably the most athletic.

Paul said he talks -- a lot.

"I'm very vocal ... sometimes too much," he said. "That's something my teammates talk to me about. In order to be a good leader, you have to be a good listener too. I just try to be there in all aspects of the game for my teammates."

Rumor mill

o There have been several rumors that the Raptors will trade center Andrea Bargnani. He's a talented 7-footer, who can shoot 3-pointers. However, don't expect a Bargnani-Varejao trade at the deadline.

o Things are not going well for former Cavs forward Antawn Jamison with the Los Angeles Lakers. He's piled up five DNP-CD's recently. "It doesn't make sense at all," he told Los Angeles writers. "They're pretty much telling me my services are no longer needed."

o One reason Phil Jackson might be interested in the Nets' job? They have the necessary personnel to run the triangle offense.

By the numbers

o The Cavs made 14 of 14 free throws against Atlanta on Friday. The last time they were perfect from the foul line was Feb. 16, 1999, vs. Orlando when they also made all 14 attempts.

o Zeller is averaging 12.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.0 block in five games as a starter.

o Cavs swingman C.J. Miles has reached double figures in 11 of his last 13 games. In that stretch, he's averaging 14.1 points and 3.2 rebounds.